M2.7 Earthquake 6 km ESE of Spanish Springs, Nevada — December 19, 2023
2023-12-19 16:01:07 UTC (2023-12-19) · approx. 8:01 AM UTC-8 local
Felt by 52 people across nearby locations.
On December 19, 2023 at 16:01 UTC, a magnitude 2.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 6 km ESE of Spanish Springs, Nevada, at a depth of 6.3 km and coordinates 39.6231°, -119.6351°. This earthquake was detected by 31 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 136, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 44 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Nevada, a region characterized by Basin and Range extensional tectonics, where normal faulting accommodates east-west crustal stretching at approximately 10 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the Walker Lane fault zone. View all earthquakes in Nevada.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 52 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-119.6351°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.7 earthquake near Spanish Springs, Nevada?
The magnitude 2.7 earthquake that struck 6 km ESE of Spanish Springs, Nevada on December 19, 2023 at 16:01 UTC had a depth of 6.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 39.6231°, -119.6351°, which is 6 km ESE of Spanish Springs, Nevada. View all earthquakes in Nevada.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.7 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Nevada had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Nevada was the M7.3 Pleasant Valley earthquake of October 2, 1915. Today's magnitude 2.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: nn00870310). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 19, 2023). M2.7 Earthquake 6 km ESE of Spanish Springs, Nevada — December 19, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/nn00870310/